"Yangchun Shuangyun Lu," 96% potency integration achieved, sold for fifty-two points... "Yunyu Dan," 96% potency integration achieved, sold for forty-three points...

"Wangyou Dan," 96% potency integration achieved, sold for forty-six points." Nie Kong's small elixir auction in the Shenghuang Hall continued; one after another, elixirs with 96% integration levels caused a fervent buzz within the hall, with bids rapidly escalating. The number of inner city disciples gathered around the high platform grew, exceeding two hundred by the time the seventh elixir was auctioned.

Nearly half of the inner city disciples were concentrated within the Shenghuang Hall... "...Fifty-five points!

Excellent, congratulations to this senior sister for acquiring this 'Shenyin Dan.'" Nie Kong, beaming, transferred fifty-five points to his waist token and handed the medicine box in his hand to the gracefully built, dignified blue-robed woman. By this stage of the auction, Nie Kong's objective had long been achieved.

With these elixirs, all possessing integration levels above 95%, acting as fuel, even if Nie Kong failed to sell the very last item, the events unfolding in the Shenghuang Hall would spread quickly, greatly enhancing Nie Kong's reputation throughout the inner city. The greater the fame, the more likely he was to attract the attention of the higher-ups in Lingyu City.

Of course, succeeding in selling the elixirs under these circumstances was even better. These past few days, Nie Kong had been busy refining the two specific drugs needed for little Gu Qi, as well as these eight elixirs, alongside his own cultivation.

This intense effort had completely depleted the points in his waist token. Now, the earnings from the first three elixirs had already surpassed their costs, meaning the remaining five elixirs were pure profit.

"..." "Nie Kong, stop dawdling! What is the very last item?" "Yes, yes, hurry up and show us that final elixir!" "Since this one is saved for last, its potency integration must also be 96%..." "Esteemed guests, this final elixir will absolutely not disappoint you." Seeing the inner city disciples around the high platform clamoring noisily, their faces showing varying degrees of excitement, Nie Kong chuckled heartily, flipped over the eighth medicine box, and placed it upright with a smile at the edge of the platform.

Seeing this, everyone leaned forward eagerly. "Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan!" Seeing these few characters at the top of the wooden box, almost every inner city disciple’s heart skipped a beat.

"Potency Integration... 97%..." Ninety-seven percent?

It was actually higher than the previous six elixirs like 'Yangchun Shuangyun Lu,' 'Yunyu Dan,' and 'Wangyou Dan'! In that instant, the Shenghuang Hall, which had been murmuring continuously, fell into absolute silence; even the air around them seemed to freeze.

The inner city disciples stared with wide eyes and open mouths, their faces frozen in astonishment, like fish desperate for water. Observing their shock, Nie Kong smiled leisurely, and with a "crack," he opened the wooden box.

He then retrieved a small, white jade vial from within, pulled out the stopper, and allowed an elixir the size of a thumb to fall into his palm. A faint, misty blue light bloomed, dazzling and intoxicating.

The brilliant cyan light snapped the inner city disciples in the Shenghuang Hall back to reality. Immediately following, a collective intake of breath escaped them, and expressions of utter disbelief settled upon their rigid faces.

For these inner city disciples, although they had occasionally heard rumors of an Apothecary crafting an elixir with 97% integration before, those were just stories. The vast majority of them were witnessing an elixir with such a high level of integration for the very first time today!

97% integration... And it was the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan.' As of now, perhaps only he among all the elixir masters on the Tianling Continent could achieve this!

Amidst their awe, the crowd's gaze towards Nie Kong couldn't help but become strange, as if they were looking at a monster suddenly manifested before them. Only a monster could refine the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' with such high integration!

The 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan,' like the 'Yangchun Shuangyun Lu' and 'Yunyu Dan' Nie Kong had auctioned earlier, was a product of Riyue Die Wei, widely circulated across the Tianling Continent, and its formula was not heavily guarded. Minor families or those of commoner origin might not know it, but established noble clans certainly did.

However, unlike elixirs such as 'Yangchun Shuangyun Lu,' the formula for the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' was exceptionally simple, requiring only three medicinal herbs, with immense quantities needed for each. During refinement, these three herbs had to be divided into nine portions of varying amounts and fused into nine separate masses of potency within the medicine cauldron, before finally uniting those nine masses.

It sounded simple enough, but executing it was incredibly difficult. First, the fusion of the nine portions of herbs had to occur simultaneously, and furthermore, the resulting integration levels of the nine potency masses would inherently vary.

This posed a massive challenge for the elixir master; generally, a Grade Three Elixir Master dared not attempt it, and even a Grade Four Master wasn't guaranteed success. Secondly, the difficulty of merging the nine potency masses alone was enough to terrify nearly all Grade Three Elixir Masters.

During the fusion process, even the slightest misstep in controlling the flame would result in the medicine cauldron exploding for the master. What troubled elixir masters most was that neither the initial fusion of the nine herb portions nor the subsequent fusion of the nine potency masses could allow them to touch each other.

Should contact occur, trouble would inevitably follow. When this elixir formula circulated, many elixir masters chose to fuse the three herbs portion by portion.

However, after finishing the fusion of the nine portions, they discovered that the properties of the earlier fused potency masses had already begun to alter due to prolonged exposure to the air. Even if they sealed the potency immediately after fusion, they couldn't escape; the alteration would begin the moment the elixir exited the cauldron.

Therefore, successfully refining the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' required fusing all nine herb portions simultaneously within the cauldron. It could be said that among all circulating Grade Three elixir formulas, the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' was the most difficult to refine.

Even counting Grade Three elixirs whose formulas hadn't been leaked, in terms of refining difficulty, this one ranked first, perhaps surpassing even the Tianchen Dan, which could boost cultivation by two grades. Nowadays, almost no Grade Three Elixir Master bothered to refine this particular Grade Three elixir.

Grade Four Elixir Masters might attempt it, but to refine one with a decent integration level, a Grade Five Master or above would likely need to step in. As for Grade Four Elixir Masters, simply achieving a finished product would be considered a success.

After the initial amazement, as the surrounding inner city disciples watched, a seed of doubt suddenly sprouted in their hearts. The Grade Three elixirs with integration levels over 95% auctioned previously had already proven Nie Kong's skill in alchemy.

But no matter how skilled he was, he was still only a Grade Three Elixir Master. How could he refine the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan,' which even Grade Four Elixir Masters struggled with?

Moreover, its integration level was ridiculously high. Higher than the 'Yangchun Shuangyun Lu' and 'Yunyu Dan'!

Is it some strange principle that higher refining difficulty results in higher final potency integration? Is that 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan'...

could it be fake? "..." "A 97% 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' is a bit too unbelievable.

I think this warrants suspicion." "Senior Brother, aren't you an Elixir Master? Go up and check if that elixir is truly a 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' and if it really has 97% integration?" "I've never seen a 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' before; how would I tell if it's real?" "If it's real, that would be wonderful.

No matter how many points it costs, I must buy it. I heard that after consuming this elixir, a layer of cyan protective shield forms over the body of a Spirit Fusion Master.

Although it doesn't last long, it's as tough as dragon stone and would absolutely be a life-saving elixir at a critical moment!" "..." It was only natural for everyone to harbor doubts upon seeing the 97% integrated 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan.' Nie Kong paid it no mind, a smile flickering in his eyes. He surveyed the inner city disciples gathered around the high platform and called out loudly, "Esteemed guests, is there anyone who can come up and verify the authenticity of the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan'?" Upon hearing this, the Elixir Masters among the inner city disciples exchanged uneasy glances.

Being fellow inner city Elixir Masters, and having entered the city before Nie Kong, they had nearly suffered a mental breakdown from the impact of Nie Kong's elixirs today. Producing elixirs with 95% and 96% integration was one thing, but now he had produced 97%!

This fellow would surely remain in Nie Kong for a few more years; if he refined 98% elixirs in the future, would anyone else be able to make a living? With him around, the livelihoods of other inner city Elixir Masters would likely be ruined, right?

If someone could easily refine elixirs exceeding 90% integration, who would bother seeking out those like them who could only manage 70%, 80%, or occasionally 90%? Unless fellow disciples were desperately short on points.

At this moment, they all wished they could rush onto the platform and declare Nie Kong's 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' a fake, aiming to utterly humiliate him. But such thoughts only flickered briefly in their minds; such a lie would surely be exposed, and then it would be they themselves who faced utter disgrace.

Seeing that the Elixir Masters inside the Shenghuang Hall remained silent, Nie Kong chuckled inwardly. Initially, he hadn't planned to refine the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan,' nor had he intended to push its integration to this level.

At first, Nie Kong only intended to keep the integration below 95%. Later, upon reflection, elixirs of that level would be sufficient to attract the attention of inner city disciples, but perhaps not enough to draw the notice of the high-ranking figures in Lingyu City.

Thus, the appearance of the 'Poxin Wan,' 'Yangchun Shuangyun Lu,' 'Shenyin Dan,' and even the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' came about. However, achieving 97% integration for the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan' was something that even surprised him somewhat.

Holding the elixir in his hand for another moment, Nie Kong sprang up, letting out a loud laugh, "It seems no one recognizes the 'Jiu Xiao Qing Ming Dan.' I suppose if I set a starting price, no one will dare to bid higher. In that case, I shall keep this elixir.

This elixir auction concludes here—" "Wait!" A light, melodious voice suddenly echoed through the Shenghuang Hall, not loud, yet seeming to resonate directly beside everyone's ears...